Are you a volunteer? The world is a busy place. It can be hard to find time to serve others. But look around and you’ll find that there are all sorts of needs around us every day.

Sometimes, those needs are met by people who use their time to help others. They give freely of their time and pay it forward. They also help encourage others to serve each other.

Many volunteers work at the local level. This means they may help out in local schools, churches, or other organizations. Others sign up to serve on a national level. Some even work globally!

The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by a United States government agency with the same name. It was set up in 1961 by an executive order from President John F. Kennedy. Since then, the Peace Corps has sent over 235,000 volunteers to serve in 141 countries. The inspiration for the Peace Corps was a group called Operation Crossroads Africa. It was founded by Reverend James H. Robinson.

The purpose of the Peace Corps is “to promote world peace and friendship.” U.S. citizens who are part of the organization go abroad. They serve people and groups in other nations who need trained volunteers.

Peace Corps members usually have a college degree. They also complete a three-month training program. Then, they go to other countries and work for two years. At the end of two years, they can leave the Peace Corps or ask for an extension of service.

What jobs do Peace Corps members do? They often help with education, technology, and agriculture. They also work to end hunger and help the environment. Many volunteers work with governments or schools. Others help non-profit organizations or private businesses.

Through their work, Peace Corps volunteers try to meet the three goals of the Peace Corps. The first is to provide technical assistance. Second, they help people from other countries to understand United States culture. Finally, they work to help United States citizens to understand other countries’ cultures.

Would you like to work for the Peace Corps one day? It’s one way to volunteer around the world. However, there are plenty of ways to help out in your own community. To serve others, you could start with the needs in your area.

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.2, CCRA.W.4

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow's Wonder of the Day will take you way back to the very beginning!